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“That’s the spirit.” He turned her toward the kitchen. “Go make the call. I’ll shut down the computers.”
“But—”
He gave her a little push. “They trust me to protect you, they can deal with whatever I see in the process of shutting down a machine.”
There it was again, his no-nonsense side that sent butterflies zipping through her belly as effectively as his sexy grin.
“Thanks.” She picked up the landline in Ruth’s kitchen and dialed her home number.
Her mother answered on the second ring with the annoyed ‘hello’ she saved for telemarketers and political callers.
“Hi, Mom. It’s Eva.”
“I can tell my daughters apart.”
“I know. I know. How are you guys doing?”
“We’re fine. Are you calling to tell me when your flight is coming in?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Whatdid you call me?”
Eva laughed at her slip up. “Sorry. It’s sort of a habit down here.”
“All the more reason you should comehomefor Christmas.”
“I wish.”
“You know, it wouldn’t take much for me to convince your father to go south for the holidays.”
“Don’t do that either. I’ll come home as soon as I can. I promise.” She wanted to ask if her mother had seen anyone out of the ordinary, if anything odd had happened, but it seemed silly. Her mother wasn’t the least bit distressed and if Ross said he had it covered, he did.
“When you left the Army I expected you to find work closer to home.”
She smiled as the old discussion started to unfold. Usually it irritated her, this time she was comforted. “I love you, Mom,” she said, smiling as the panic faded. “If I lived closer we’d only argue more.”
Her mother chuckled. “Not about where you live. You know, I ran into Tony Accio yesterday.”
Eva rolled her eyes. Talk of her high school boyfriend was as predictable as her living arrangements. “How’s he doing?”
“He looked happy. Says he’s engaged.”
“Give him my congratulations,” she said, watching Carson clean up the kitchen. He’d been right. This was exactly what she needed. She’d have to find the righttimeto show her appreciation.
“I could tell him you looked happy if I ever saw you with my own eyes.”
“Soon. I promise. Give everyone my love.” She ended the call and, feeling a thousand times better, rushed over to hug Carson.
“Good idea. Great idea. Thanks.” She stepped back, suddenly unsure what to do. “I’ll, um, be ready in two minutes.”
She dashed upstairs to check the mascara damage, thinking she could name on one hand the men in her life who made her weak-kneed and giddy inside. Tony Accio had been one of them, but she’d been seventeen and stupid.
Her mother might have had a wild, misplaced pipe dream of a Battaglia-Accio wedding and little Accios getting underfoot at the holidays, but Tony hadn’t been inclined to wait out Eva’s Army plans.
The few men who’d interested her after Tony didn’t compare to what she was feeling for Carson. She faced herself in the mirror, patted cool water on her heated cheeks. For a woman who didn’t go for nice guys, the southern deputy in charge of her safety sure was pushing all the right buttons.
“I’m ready,” she declared upon returning to the kitchen.
